I'm not an "expert" on collecting children's books -- just someone with a hobby.
This is a place for discussing older children's books, as well as sharing info and opinions on new books that might become collectable in the years ahead.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Singalong for Sleepy Readers

Are you feeling a little groggy today?

Have you found yourself dozing off in front of the computer?

Did a co-worker have to poke you in the stomach with a ruler because you were snoring in the office, library, or classroom?

If so, you're probably one of the thousands who has been up late reading A Certain Book that was released at midnight on August 24.

To perk yourself up, why not join today's MOCKINGJAY singalong?

Just click on this Youtube video for musical accompaniment and sing the lyrics below.

(If your computer is too slow to play videos, just sing along to the tune of "Listen to the Mockingbird." It was Abraham Lincoln's favorite song. On a less lofty note, it was also the theme music for Three Stooges movies.)

Singalong lyrics:

You know that I overslept on Tuesday.And also Wednesday, and probably Thursday.You know that I’ve overslept almost every day this week‘Cause I have been up reading all night long.

And so I was late to work on TuesdayAnd also Wednesday, and probably Thursday.You know that I have been late almost every day this week‘Cause I have been up reading all night long.

Blame it on the Mockingjay,Blame it on the Mockingjay.That’s the book that I’ve been reading through the night (yes, every night)Blame it on the Mockingjay,Blame it on the Mockingjay--aay.Oh, I cannot sleep till Katniss is all right!

Okay, while he continues to fiddle in the background, let's get down to brass tacks.

How collectable are the books in the "Hunger Games" trilogy?

Written by Suzanne Collins and published by Scholastic, THE HUNGER GAMES was a hit right out of the box. A large first printing of 50,000 copies was planned, but demand was so great that the print run was reportedly bumped up to 200,000. Even so, first editions of this book are surprisingly rare and currently sell for $300 to $750. The first edition is bound in brown with an embossed gold mockingjay on the front panel. The dustjacket (pictured at left) has a price of $17.99. The copyright page should state "First edition, October 2008" and contain the following complete print key: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

The second book in the series, CATCHING FIRE had a first printing of 350,000 and copies can still be found of $30 or less. The first edition is bound in red with an embossed black mockingjay on the front panel. The dustjacket (right) has a price of $17.99 The copyright page states "First edition, September 2009" and contains the complete print key: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

The final volume in the trilogy, MOCKINGJAY, was published August 24 with a staggering first printing of 1.2 million copies. Bound in blue, the first edition features an embossed silver mockingjay on the front panel. The dustjacket has a price of $17.99 and, at this point, you may even be able to find the book discounted below that price point. The copyright page states "First edition, September 2010" and contains the print key: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.

Because the first printing of MOCKINGJAY is so huge, I can't imagine it ever become a rare book to find in first edition -- at least not for the forseeable future. And I wouldn't be surprised to see the high prices for the first volume come down eventually as well. Although THE HUNGER GAMES did go into many later printings, the first printing was still 200,000 copies, and it's likely that -- after the Hunger Games Fever subsides (which may take a while, especially with a movie version in the works) -- many of these copies will turn up in used bookstores for a fraction of their current $300-$750 price tag.

So if you want to buy a first edition, just be patient.

However, if you want to sell a copy, now is the time!

And speaking of time, how long will I be able to stay awake reading MOCKINGJAY tonight before I doze off with the bedside light still on and the edge of the book digging into my cheek -- leaving a book-shaped imprint on the side of my face by morning?

How long will I oversleep tomorrow?

How about you?

If you find yourself rushing to school or work in themorning, keep the following song in mind. I'll no doubt be singing it too:

Blame it on the Mockingjay,Blame it on the Mockingjay.That’s the book that I’ve been reading through the night (yes, every night)Blame it on the Mockingjay,Blame it on the Mockingjay-aay.Oh, I cannot sleep till Katniss is all right!

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I'm so happy to be retired, more or less, but I still stayed up two nights in a row to finish it. I'm not really in love with the final installment though. I'll have to re-read it before passing final judgement, but there was a whole lot of action and not much character development; or so it seemed on first read. But, I am an oldster, so kids will probably be delighted.

I'm so happy to be retired, more or less, but I still stayed up two nights in a row to finish it. I'm not really in love with the final installment though. I'll have to re-read it before passing final judgement, but there was a whole lot of action and not much character development; or so it seemed on first read. But, I am an oldster, so kids will probably be delighted.

About Me

I've been involved with children's books most of my life, from my earliest days working in the grade school library to my current job cataloging children's books for a university. I've published young adult fiction, as well as thousands of book reviews, and have contributed articles and essays to a number of magazines and reference volumes dealing with the topic of children's books. To see the books in my collection, please visit librarything.com/catalog/Psierut
and click on "author" to get an alphabetical-by-author view. I can be reached at Newbery13@aol.com